4th or Cup

[Power n Glory]

I'm not even sure the FA Cup win is enough to act as a springboard, especially if we drop out of the top 4.

[Letters]

You are a cheery soul

[selassie]

I'm not even sure the FA Cup win is enough to act as a springboard, especially if we drop out of the top 4.

Me either. The bare minimum is a top 4 place and the fa cup coupled by a summer of proper signings/squad building.

I personally think even if we achieve top 4 place and cup win but have a summer of Wenger "low balling and dithering" the knives will be out in full force come the start of the season.

I personally want Wenger gone irrespective of what happens this season.

[Globalgunner]

Any optimism that still exists in these parts should be dampened by the prospect of U know Who still being in charge. If a situation can be choked, he will find a way. Next summer he still wont buy what's needed. He will instead be driven by the need to prove that this season was a fluke, stick with the same players and stick with the same methods. Anyone who thinks different clearly hasn't been watching closely these last 10 years. Blame injuries and whatever, anything but changing course.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

A part of me is curious to see how we'd fare in the Europa League. We always seem to qualify from our CL groups with relative ease and most of the time they're made up of Europa League standard teams. If there's a chance we'd take it seriously I don't think it's the worst thing in the world really, we aren't exactly awash with European history and success, we're still lightweights in that sense, so it would be a good chance to build that up. We'd gain far more credibility from a strong EL showing than we would from our usual last 16 exits in the CL.

The only concern is how it would affect our pull when it comes to attracting super quality players.

I have little hang up about trying to win the Europa league like you as it is another trophy and isn't met with the ridicule, abroad, it is often encounters on these shores. My main concern is that I hear from starting a campaign to winning the thing takes something approaching 20 games. That's takes our games tally to almost 60 games without even counting Capital one cup or FA cup games. I shudder to imagine it with a squad with our injury record.

I don't think one year out of the CL is a hugely big deal myself, if you take that in isolation. If you start the league well the following year and are top or thereabouts you tend to be taken seriously in spite of not being in the CL. Liverpool have alarmingly proved that and we have heard very little from the Suarez camp about the fact he isn't playing CL football or even the fact that prick John W Henry lied about the clause in his contract.

[Bumble]

FA Cup would be good, we play CL football every year and apart from a handful of games it is pretty boring. Its also not like we use the money from CL football or the prestige from CL football to benefit the team in anyway. The signings havent been top drawer for a long while (apart Ozil), so if we finish 5th will it really make any difference to our spending plans. Perhaps it might actually spark something into life with a desire to get back in the CL giving the club something to strive and improve on.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

FA Cup would be good, we play CL football every year and apart from a handful of games it is pretty boring. Its also not like we use the money from CL football or the prestige from CL football to benefit the team in anyway. The signings havent been top drawer for a long while (apart Ozil), so if we finish 5th will it really make any difference to our spending plans. Perhaps it might actually spark something into life with a desire to get back in the CL giving the club something to strive and improve on.

Totally agree mate.

[Power n Glory]

Me either. The bare minimum is a top 4 place and the fa cup coupled by a summer of proper signings/squad building.

I personally think even if we achieve top 4 place and cup win but have a summer of Wenger "low balling and dithering" the knives will be out in full force come the start of the season.

I personally want Wenger gone irrespective of what happens this season.

That's how I feel. I just think it's time for Wenger to step down. When he continues to say 'buying isn't the answer' and 'we're unlucky with injuries', I just think we're setting ourselves up for more of the same.

[Power n Glory]

Any optimism that still exists in these parts should be dampened by the prospect of U know Who still being in charge. If a situation can be choked, he will find a way. Next summer he still wont buy what's needed. He will instead be driven by the need to prove that this season was a fluke, stick with the same players and stick with the same methods. Anyone who thinks different clearly hasn't been watching closely these last 10 years. Blame injuries and whatever, anything but changing course.

I agree with that too. Not much optimism for next season if he's still in charge.

[Power n Glory]

You are a cheery soul

What do you expect? Should I be convinced by anything I've seen this season?